The semiconductor manufacturing industry is constantly seeking to improve the processes used to manufacture integrated circuits from wafers. The improvements come in various forms but, generally, have one or more objectives as the desired goal. The objectives of many of these improved processes include: 1) decreasing the amount of time required to process a wafer to form the desired integrated circuits; 2) increasing the yield of usable integrated circuits per wafer by, for example, decreasing the likelihood of contamination of the wafer during processing; 3) reducing the number of steps required to turn a wafer into the desired integrated circuits; and 4) reducing the cost of processing the wafers into the desired integrated circuit by, for example, reducing the costs associated with the chemicals required for the processing.
In the processing of wafers, it is often necessary to subject one or more sides of the wafer to a fluid in either liquid, vapor or gaseous form. Such fluids are used to, for example, etch the wafer surface, clean the wafer surface, dry the wafer surface, passivate the wafer surface, deposit films on the wafer surface, etc. Control of the physical parameters of the processing fluids, such as their temperature, molecular composition, dosing, etc., is often quite crucial to the success of the processing operations. As such, the introduction of such fluids to the surface of the wafer occurs in a controlled environment. Typically, such wafer processing occurs in what has commonly become known as a reactor.
These reactors have been quite useful for many of the fluid processing steps employed in the production of an integrated circuit. However, it has now been recognized that demands for future integrated circuits manufacturing processes may ultimately require more control and economic efficiency from the reactor. As such, a substantially new approach to processing and reactor design has been undertaken which provides greater control of the fluid processes currently used in connection with microelectronic manufacturing, and, further, provides for the implementation and execution of more advanced and improved processes. Additionally, the reactor includes several advantageous mechanical features including those that allow the reactor to be used with robotic wafer transfer equipment, those that allow the reactor to be readily re-configured for different processes, and those that allow the processing chamber of the reactor to be easily removed and serviced.
An apparatus for processing a microelectronic workpiece includes a first chamber member having an interior chamber wall and a second chamber member each having an interior chamber wall. The first and second chamber members are adapted for relative movement between a loading position in which the first and second chamber members are spaced apart, and a processing position in which the first and second chamber members are adjacent or engaged to each other, to define a processing chamber. At least one workpiece support assembly is disposed between the first and second chamber members for supporting the microelectronic workpiece. The workpiece support assembly supports the workpiece spaced apart from the interior chamber wall of the first or second chamber members when they are in the loading position. The workpiece support assembly also supports the workpiece adjacent, or closer to the interior chamber wall when the first and second chamber members are in the processing position.
In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, the workpiece support assembly includes a workpiece support member and a biasing member disposed to engage the workpiece support member. In operation, the biasing member urges the workpiece support member to space the workpiece away from the interior chamber wall when the first and second chamber members are in the loading position. Upon relative movement of the first and second chambers to the processing position, the first and second chamber members urge the workpiece support member against the bias of the biasing member, and the workpiece is moved to a position closer to the interior chamber walls of the chamber members. The biasing member may be, for example, a coil spring actuator or a leaf spring.
In accordance with a further embodiment of the present invention, the apparatus includes an upper chamber member having an interior chamber wall and a lower chamber member having an interior chamber wall. As in the previous embodiment, the upper chamber member and the lower chamber are adapted for relative movement between a loading position in which the upper and lower chamber members are distal one another and a processing position in which the upper and lower chamber members are proximate one another. While in the processing position, the chamber members are effectively joined to each other to form a substantially closed processing chamber that generally conforms to the shape of the workpiece. The substantially closed processing chamber has at least one fluid outlet disposed at a peripheral region thereof. Further, at least one processing fluid inlet is disposed through at least one of the interior chamber walls for providing a processing fluid onto a surface of the workpiece, when the upper and lower chamber members are in the processing position. A workpiece support assembly is disposed between the upper and lower chamber members for supporting the workpiece in a loading position or in a processing position.
The upper and lower chamber members are attached to each other and rotated by a rotor drive when the members are in the processing position. The workpiece support is adapted to support the workpiece in the substantially closed processing chamber in a position to allow distribution of a fluid supplied through the at least one processing fluid inlet across at least one face of the microelectronic workpiece by centrifugal acceleration when the chamber members are rotated by the rotor drive during processing.
In accordance with one aspect of the invention, the workpiece support assembly includes a plurality of workpiece support members having an upstanding portion and a support surface. The assembly also includes a biasing member member that is diposed to engage the upstanding portions of the plurality workpiece support member. The biasing member urges the workpiece support member to space the workpiece away from the interior chamber wall when the first and second chamber members are in the loading position. Relative movement of the first and second chamber members together pushes the workpiece support members down against the bias of the biasing member to the processing position.
The biasing member may be in the form of a plurality of leaf spring members extending from a central hub. End portions of the leaf spring members may then contact respective upstanding members of the workpiece supports.
The plurality of workpiece support members may be disposed through the lower chamber member and the biasing member may secured to the lower chamber member at the hub of the biasing member by a securement that forms the processing fluid inlet of the lower chamber member. In such instances, the size and the shape of the processing fluid inlet may be easily changed by merely replacing a securement having a first inlet configuration with a securement having another inlet configuration.